Londoner Taylor Elgersma makes history with U Sports honour

Article content

Taylor Elgersma is being celebrated as the best player in Canadian university football.

Article content

The Oakridge grad became the first Laurier Golden Hawks player in 30 years (Bill Kubas, 1994) and the first Londoner since Windsor running back Daryl Stephenson in 2006 to win the Hec Crighton trophy this week at the U Sports football banquet on Thursday in Kingston.

The star quarterback, a former Jr. Knights hockey player who took to football in Grade 10 with the Oaks, led the country in passing yards (3,554), passing yards per game (323.1) and passing touchdowns (28) while scoring seven rushing touchdowns for the unbeaten Hawks. The six-foot-six signal-caller earned a second straight Ontario conference MVP (Larry Haylor Award) and was named top player in a 51-31 Yates Cup victory earlier this month that ended Western’s three-year reign.

Article content

Elgersma will try to finish the storybook season in the Vanier Cup game against the perennial powerhouse Laval Rouge et Or Saturday, (1 p.m. kickoff) in Kingston.

Former Western star Michael Faulds, now Laurier’s head coach, was named the U Sports football coach of the year. Mustangs Seth Robertson (receiver) and Erik Andersen (tackle) were named first-team all-Canadians while Alex Berwick (centre) and Richard Aduboffour (cornerback) were named to the national second-team.

The six-foot-three, 200-pound Aduboffour signed a CFL contract with the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Friday. The Toronto native was the 68th overall pick (eighth round) in the 2024 draft before returning to Western for his senior season.

He recorded 20 tackles, one tackle for loss, one sack, two interceptions and a pass deflection this past season.

rpyette@postmedia.com

Share this article in your social network